Create datasets for capturing IAB TCF 2.0 consent data

In order for Adobe Experience Platform to process customer consent data in accordance with the IAB Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) 2.0, that data must be sent to datasets whose schemas contain TCF 2.0 consent fields.

Specifically, two datasets are required for capturing TCF 2.0 consent data:

• A dataset based on the XDM Individual Profile class, enabled for use in Real-time Customer Profile.
• A dataset based on the XDM ExperienceEvent class.

This document provides steps for setting up these two datasets. For an overview of the full workflow to configure your Platform data operations for TCF 2.0, refer to the IAB TCF 2.0 compliance overview.

Prerequisites

This tutorial requires a working understanding of the following components of Adobe Experience Platform:

• Experience Data Model (XDM): The standardized framework by which Experience Platform organizes customer experience data.
  • Basics of schema composition: Learn about the basic building blocks of XDM schemas.
• Adobe Experience Platform Identity Service: Allows you to bridge customer identities from your disparate data sources across devices and systems.
  • Identity namespaces: Customer identity data must be provided under a specific identity namespace recognized by Identity Service.
• Real-time Customer Profile: Leverages Identity Service to let you create detailed customer profiles from your datasets in real time. Real-time Customer Profile pulls data from the Data Lake and persists customer profiles in its own separate data store.

TCF 2.0 field groups

The IAB TCF 2.0 Consent Details schema field group provides customer consent fields that are required for TCF 2.0 support. There are two versions of this field group: one compatible with the XDM Individual Profile class, and the other with the XDM ExperienceEvent class.

The sections below explain the structure of each of these field groups, including the data they expect during ingestion.

Profile field group

For schemas based on XDM Individual Profile, the IAB TCF 2.0 Consent Details field group provides a single map-type field, identityPrivacyInfo, which maps customer identities to their TCF consent preferences. This field group must be included in a record-based schema that is enabled for Real-time Customer Profile in order for automatic enforcement to take place.

See the reference guide for this field group to learn more about its structure and use case.

Event field group

If you want to track consent-change events over time, you can add the IAB TCF 2.0 Consent Details field group to your XDM ExperienceEvent schema.

If you do not plan on tracking consent change events over time, you do not need to include this field group in your event schema. When automatically enforcing TCF consent values, Experience Platform only uses the latest consent information ingested into the profile field group. Consent values captured by events do not participate in automatic enforcement workflows.

See the reference guide for this field group for more information on its structure and use case.

Create customer consent schemas

In order to create datasets that capture consent data, you must first create XDM schemas to base those datasets on.

As mentioned in the previous section, a schema that uses the XDM Individual Profile class is required in order to enforce consent in downstream Platform workflows. You can also optionally create a separate schema based on XDM ExperienceEvent if you wish to track consent changes over time. Both schemas must contain an identityMap field and an appropriate TCF 2.0 field group.

In the Platform UI, select Schemas in the left navigation to open the Schemas workspace. From here, follow the steps in the sections below to create each required schema.

Create a profile consent schema

Select Create schema, then choose XDM Individual Profile from the dropdown menu.

The Add field groups dialog appears, allowing you to start adding field groups to the schema right away. From here, select IAB TCF 2.0 Consent Details from the list. You can optionally use the search bar to narrow down results to locate the field group easier.

Next, find the IdentityMap field group from the list and select it as well. Once both field groups are listed in the right rail, select Add field groups.

The canvas reappears, showing that the identityPrivacyInfo and identityMap fields have been added to the schema structure.

Before adding more fields to the schema, select the root field to reveal Schema properties in the right rail, where you can provide a name and description for the schema.

After you’ve provided a name and description, you can optionally add more fields to the schema by selecting Add under the Field groups section on the left side of the canvas.

If you are editing an existing schema that has already been enabled for use in Real-time Customer Profile, select Save to confirm your changes before skipping ahead to the section on creating a dataset based on your consent schema. If you are creating a new schema, continue following the steps outlined in the subsection below.

Enable the schema for use in Real-time Customer Profile

In order for Platform to associate the consent data it receives to specific customer profiles, the consent schema must be enabled for use in Real-time Customer Profile.

To enable the schema for Profile, select the schema’s name in the left rail to open the Schema properties section. From here, select the Profile toggle button.

A popover appears, indicating a missing primary identity. Select the checkbox for using an alternate primary identity, as the primary identity will be contained in the identityMap field.

Finally, select Save to confirm your changes.

Create an event consent schema

In the Schemas workspace, select Create schema, then choose XDM ExperienceEvent from the dropdown.

The Add field groups dialog appears. From here, select IAB TCF 2.0 Consent Details from the list. You can optionally use the search bar to narrow down results to locate the field group easier.

Next, find the IdentityMap field group from the list and select it as well. Once both field groups are listed in the right rail, select Add field groups.

The canvas reappears, showing that the consentStrings and identityMap fields have been added to the schema structure.

Before adding more fields to the schema, select the root field to reveal Schema properties in the right rail, where you can provide a name and description for the schema.

After you’ve provided a name and description, you can optionally add more fields to the schema by selecting Add under the Field groups section on the left side of the canvas.

Once the field groups that you require have been added, finish by selecting Save.

Create datasets based on your consent schemas

For each of the required schemas described above, you must create a dataset that will ultimately ingest your customers’ consent data. The dataset based on the record schema must be enabled for Real-time Customer Profile, while the dataset based on the time-series schema should not be Profile-enabled.

To begin, select Datasets in the left navigation, then select Create dataset in the top-right corner.

On the next page, select Create dataset from schema.

The Create dataset from schema workflow appears, starting at the Select schema step. In the provided list, locate one of the consent schemas that you created earlier. You can optionally use the search bar to narrow down results and locate your schema easier. Select the radio button next to the desired schema, then select Next to continue.

The Configure dataset step appears. Provide a unique, easily identifiable name and description for the dataset before selecting Finish.

The details page for the newly created dataset appears. If the dataset is based on your time-series schema, then the process is complete. If the dataset is based on your record schema, the final step in the process is to enable the dataset for use in Real-time Customer Profile.

In the right rail, select the Profile toggle, then select Enable in the confirmation popover to enable the schema for Profile.

Follow the above steps again to create an event-based dataset if you created a schema for it.

Next steps

By following this tutorial, you have created at least one dataset that can now be used to collect customer consent data:

• A record-based dataset that is enabled for use in Real-time Customer Profile. (Required)
• A time-series-based dataset that is not enabled for Profile. (Optional)

You can now return to the IAB TCF 2.0 overview to continue the process of configuring Platform for TCF 2.0 compliance.